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Monday, May 4, 2015

Pathfinder Archetype: Magus (Bladedroid)

I created this racial variant of the Magus (Bladebound) for my backwards Iron Gods game:

Bladedroid (Android
Magus Archetype)

A select group of android magi are called to wield a tech blade ­­– a hybrid weapon of
unknown purpose. These weapons are possibly the result of whatever mysterious
event that causes a black blade to
manifest acting on a technological weapon. However they come to be these
powerful weapons house an artificial intelligence capable of merging with its
android wielder in order to carry out its ancient goals.

Tech Blade (Ex): At 3rd level the magus gains a powerful AI
weapon called a tech blade whose
weapon type is chosen by the magus. A magus with this class feature cannot take
the familiar class magus arcana and cannot have a familiar of any kind even
from another class. The bladedroid magus's arcane pool has a number of points
equal to 1/3 his level (minimum 1) plus his Intelligence bonus. This ability
replaces the magus arcana gained at 3rd level.

Capacity: The tech blade has the number of charges listed on the table and can be
recharged by any battery or generator as a standard action.

Noqual-Adamantine
Alloy: The tech blade acts as an
adamantine weapon for purposes of damage reduction and hardness. It has one
third more hit points than normal and gets a +4 bonus to saving throws against
any magical source.

AI: The tech blade has its own artificial
intelligence (Technology Guide p. 58). If the blade drops below 1 charge the
AI shuts down until recharged.

Alignment: The AI
has the same alignment as the magus and generally works in concert with the
wielder, but like a black blade it
has its own secret mission.

Senses: The AI can
tap into the Android magus' senses at will as long as the magus is wielding the
blade. If the Magus wishes to block this he may make a Will save versus the
same DC as for Aggregation (below), a successful save blocks the AI for 1 hour
(or until the magus decides to allow the AI access).

Defenses: The AI
has good Will saves and poor Fortitude and Reflex saves for a creature two
levels less than the magus.

Ability Scores:
The AI starts with Int 14, Wis 12, and Charisma 10 and gains +2 to one ability
score for every two levels the magus gains.

Feats: Alertness, Improved
Initiative, Technologist. The AI gains one feat for every two levels the magus
gains.

Languages: Androffan,
Draconic, Common, Hallit.

Special abilities:

Aggregation (Ex): As a standard action the AI may aggregate
(Technology
Guide p. 58) with the magus even though the magus lacks the robot
subtype. The magus is the only android that the AI may aggregate with. The
magus may willingly submit to this, or make a Will Save to resist it with the
DC from the table. This lasts a number of rounds per day equal to 1/2 the
magus's level plus the AI's intelligence modifier (these rounds need not be
consecutive, but if the AI relinquishes control the magus may save against
subsequent attempts and failed attempts consume 1 round).

Tactical Processing (Ex): The AI processes the sensory
information from the magus and runs a predictive model of the combat
environment. The AI gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat. As long as the
magus is wielding the blade and allowing the AI access to his senses, he gains
an insight bonus to Initiative, Attack Rolls and AC equal to half the AI's
intelligence modifier. Additionally if the magus would be flat-footed, but the AI is not, the magus is also not flat-footed.

Tech Blade Ability
Descriptions:

Arcana Recharge (Su):
The magus may spend 1 or more points of arcana pool to recharge an equal number
of charges.

Communications (Ex): The
AI may communicate directly with the magus as long as the magus is wielding the
blade, and with any commsets as though it has a built-in commset (Technology
Guide p. 42).

Construct Bane (Su): The
blade acts as a construct bane weapon. This consumes no charges and remains in
effect even if the blade is completely depleted.

Tactical Processing
(Ex): See above.

Energized Strike (Ex): As a free action
the magus may expend 1 charge to add a +2 damage bonus with the blade for the
next minute.

Reforgeable (Ex): If
broken the AI is unconscious and the tech
blade is powerless until repaired. If destroyed, the tech blade can be reforged 1 week later through a special ritual
that costs 200 gp per magus level. The ritual takes 24 hours to complete.

Resurge (Ex): At
5th level, by expending 5 charges the magus regains one nanite surge as a free
action. The magus can use this ability a maximum of times per day equal to 1/3
level + constitution modifier. The magus must be wielding the tech blade to do this.

Nullification Strike
(Su): When activating Energized Strike a 7th level magus (or higher) may
choose to also imbue the tech blade
with this special power. For the next minute, the first time each round that
the tech blade strikes a target it
consumes one additional charge and hits the target with dispel magic and
discharge simultaneously (as though cast at the magus' caster level). The magus
may deactivate or reactivate this ability as a swift action as long as
Energized Strike is active.

Teleport Blade (Su): As
a standard action, a magus of 13th level or higher may call his tech blade from
up to a mile away causing it to instantly teleport to his hand. This consumes
1d6 charges.

Energy Absorbtion (Ex):
At 17th level the magus gains the ability to parry energy attacks with the tech blade storing a portion of the
absorbed energy. When the magus activates Energized Strike he may specify an
energy type. He gains Energy Resistance 30 for that type as long as Energized
Strike is active and he may change the energy type as a swift action. For each
5 points of damage absorbed the tech
blade regains 1 charge.

Power Drain: Each
time a 19th or higher level magus kills a creature with the robot or android
subtype or destroys a powered technological object with the blade he can pick
one of the following effects: the tech
blade regains 5 charges; the tech blade restores 2 charges and the magus
restores 1 point to his arcane pool; or the magus recovers all of his nanite
surges. This must be a creature with hit dice at least equal to the 1/2 magus's
level or a charged technological object worth 28,000 gp for this to occur.

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